Negatives

[wist43]

3rd and 5 is not the same as 3rd and 1. Its a passing situation. That one DL look is still just a nickle package. At most we would have had 2 DL there anyways in a 2-4 nickle. There is an advantage to the 1-5 psycho too though, its too confusing for a man-to-man power running scheme, it has too much speed to beat outside, and is probably indicating a blitz so there is no way of knowing which gaps are the right ones. Solid defensive call IMO.

As I said in another post, 3rd and 5 at the 40 yd line may be a passing situation, but 3rd and 5 inside their own 10 yd line, with the clock winding down in the half, with a rookie QB and a shaky passing game... is absolutely a run down for them, and you saw what happened, they simply plowed ahead for 7 yds and ran the half out.

Besides that, since when does a passing down necessitate only having 1 or 2 DL on the field?? That's my chief complaint about all of these soft packages - Capers is saying right up front that coverage trumps pressure. Philosophically, that's backward. You may get the occassional coverage sack, but for the most part you're telling the QB he can have a comfortable pocket and clean feet - a good QB will take that over pressure every time.

Defense should be about getting pressure up front first and foremost. If you're lacking front seven talent, then you need to find ways around that with the last resort being dropping 8 in coverage and hope for the best. Remember the term "prevent defense"?? Capers soft alignments are straight out of that philosophical school. As the old saying goes, "the only thing the prevent defense does, is prevent you from winning".

[Patler]

I don't know, but it seems to me that 3rd and 5 just about anywhere except inside the redzone where the field compresses, becomes a very makeable running down with only one DL on the field, unless some of your linebackers are really DL in disguise, as Kampman was and as Perry might be, and/or you have run-stuffing inside linebackers. When your linebackers are small and/or "tweeners" at best. I expect most O-linemen start salavating with a running play called or as an option when they break huddle and see a gimmick defense like that.

[pbmax]

We don't know what their tendency was in similar situations. It could be they expected Wilson to have some sort of self run pass option and did not want him to outflank the D lineman.

Lynch is a beast, but how often does he get the ball on 3rd and 5? Most rookies don't audible out of pass plays, but perhaps Wilson did, or had a package call on that play.

[rbaloha1]

Agree with Aikman -- Packers are better in man to man. It was disturbing to see the zone give up too many easy completions along with the communication breakdowns. These are correctable.

However when the game was on the line, the secondary and linebackers adjusted drop angles which lead to more incompletions.

Overall the defense is vastly improved from last season.

[pbmax]

Agree with Aikman -- Packers are better in man to man. It was disturbing to see the zone give up too many easy completions along with the communication breakdowns. These are correctable.

However when the game was on the line, the secondary and linebackers adjusted drop angles which lead to more incompletions.

Overall the defense is vastly improved from last season.

Well, its not just man to man. The packers gave up plenty of catches in one on one match ups, including the 80 yard TD and several of Colston's catches across the middle.

I think everyone is talking about pressing and/or bumping on the outside and its hard to argue something else may have been called for given the game. I think Capers wanted to elongate the time the coverage could hold because while the Saints couldn't run the ball, they could pass block. If he knew this (and I haven't looked up the stats to confirm), he may have wanted to have more time in sound coverage for the pass rush to work while also dedicating resources to Graham and Sproles.

What's clear is that is the Packers line up off coverage or in zone, they are more likely to make mistakes. In the case of the Saints, going to Aikman's point, if you allow free release, then the timing of their offense is not disrupted until the pass rush gets there.

[mraynrand]

I think everyone is talking about pressing and/or bumping on the outside and its hard to argue something else may have been called for given the game. I think Capers wanted to elongate the time the coverage could hold because while the Saints couldn't run the ball, they could pass block. If he knew this (and I haven't looked up the stats to confirm), he may have wanted to have more time in sound coverage for the pass rush to work while also dedicating resources to Graham and Sproles.

excellent analysis, Mr. Spock. repped

[Brandon494]

Well, its not just man to man. The packers gave up plenty of catches in one on one match ups, including the 80 yard TD and several of Colston's catches across the middle.

I think everyone is talking about pressing and/or bumping on the outside and its hard to argue something else may have been called for given the game. I think Capers wanted to elongate the time the coverage could hold because while the Saints couldn't run the ball, they could pass block. If he knew this (and I haven't looked up the stats to confirm), he may have wanted to have more time in sound coverage for the pass rush to work while also dedicating resources to Graham and Sproles.

What's clear is that is the Packers line up off coverage or in zone, they are more likely to make mistakes. In the case of the Saints, going to Aikman's point, if you allow free release, then the timing of their offense is not disrupted until the pass rush gets there.

Per Tom Silverstein

The big reason was because the Saints used a lot of bunch formations. The Packers had some rules for how to play them when their splits are a certain way. When the splits were narrower than usual, they went to zone so they didn’t get picked. Wider, they went to man-to-man. The Saints are really good in dissecting defenses and making them react to the Saints. With the size of their receivers, you can’t let yourself get picked all day long or you wind up giving up even bigger plays. The problem was no pass rush.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/172006201.html

[pbmax]

Per Tom Silverstein

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/172006201.html

Great find Brandon.

[mraynrand]

The big reason was because the Saints used a lot of bunch formations. The Packers had some rules for how to play them when their splits are a certain way. When the splits were narrower than usual, they went to zone so they didn’t get picked. Wider, they went to man-to-man. The Saints are really good in dissecting defenses and making them react to the Saints. With the size of their receivers, you can’t let yourself get picked all day long or you wind up giving up even bigger plays. The problem was no pass rush.

Aren't picks illegal?? Those darn Saints, they always have some illegal scheme up their sleeves!

[rbaloha1]

Aren't picks illegal?? Those darn Saints, they always have some illegal scheme up their sleeves!

Saints are a dirty team reflective of Coach Peyton. Its no wonder the league was trying to frame them with bounty gate.

[3irty1]

As I said in another post, 3rd and 5 at the 40 yd line may be a passing situation, but 3rd and 5 inside their own 10 yd line, with the clock winding down in the half, with a rookie QB and a shaky passing game... is absolutely a run down for them, and you saw what happened, they simply plowed ahead for 7 yds and ran the half out.

Besides that, since when does a passing down necessitate only having 1 or 2 DL on the field?? That's my chief complaint about all of these soft packages - Capers is saying right up front that coverage trumps pressure. Philosophically, that's backward. You may get the occassional coverage sack, but for the most part you're telling the QB he can have a comfortable pocket and clean feet - a good QB will take that over pressure every time.

Defense should be about getting pressure up front first and foremost. If you're lacking front seven talent, then you need to find ways around that with the last resort being dropping 8 in coverage and hope for the best. Remember the term "prevent defense"?? Capers soft alignments are straight out of that philosophical school. As the old saying goes, "the only thing the prevent defense does, is prevent you from winning".

Downlinemen do not equal pass rushers. Clay Matthews is almost never a down lineman. You don't have to be a down lineman to get pressure. A 1-5 or 2-4 nickle subpackage does not mean they are rushing 1 or 2. You know this.

And even if it wasn't by in large a passing situation, a package like that has advantages against the run too. Even with the size mismatch you can force the offense to guess correctly against a run blitz.

[Joemailman]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/172006201.html

A: Tom Silverstein - They're not playing well and it's quite possible they're not that good. They caught lightning in a bottle in 2010, weren't as good as their record last year and are just plain struggling this year. They're very lucky to be 2-2. I think not having Jennings at 100% hurts, the transition to Cedric Benson has taken some time and Rodgers is just not playing as well as last year. There are a lot of things wrong with this team.

They're lucky to be 2-2? What has this moron been watching the last 2 weeks? An incredible string of bad luck is the only thing preventing this team from being 3-1.

[George Cumby]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/172006201.html



They're lucky to be 2-2? What has this moron been watching the last 2 weeks? An incredible string of bad luck is the only thing preventing this team from being 3-1.

Actually only one goat-fucked call away from 3-1.

[Brandon494]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/172006201.html



They're lucky to be 2-2? What has this moron been watching the last 2 weeks? An incredible string of bad luck is the only thing preventing this team from being 3-1.

Yes we are lucky that the Saints missed that FG, we could have easily lost that game.

[Pugger]

Yes we are lucky that the Saints missed that FG, we could have easily lost that game.

Had they gotten that FG we still had over 2 minutes for Rodgers to move this team into scoring position to retake the lead.